Apparatus for electrolytic and similar treatments



F. T. TAYLOR Sept. 10, 1929.

APPARATUs FOR ELECTROLYTIC AND SIMILAR TREATMENTS Filed Sept. 25, 1925V%%& W AW WM awuewto'z Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

. UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

ELOYD T. TAYLOR, OE MATA'WAN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS,

T0 HANSON-VAN WINKLE-MUNNING COMPANY,

CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A

, APPARATUS FOR ELECTROLYTIC AND SIMILAR TREATMENTS.

Application and September 23, i925. Serial No. 57,9s.

ample, it may be desired to utilize a single.

conveyor to carry difi'erentarticles to be electroplated, through bathsat diiferent current densities, orthrough baths di'flering as to theirchemical or electrochemical constituents, or both. The invention aims toprovide an apparatus whereby a single conveyor may be employed tosubject different articles simultaneously to such separate or differenttreatments. J v

Further objects and advantages of the in- .vention will be in partobvious and in part specifically pointed out in the descriptionhereinafter contained, which taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof; such embodiment,however, is to be considered as merelyillustrative of its drawings IFig.1 is a cross sectionalview, partly diagrammatic, of an apparatusconstructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is'a diagrammatic plan view of tank forming a part of suchapparatus.

The illustrated apparatus is provided with two tank compartments 1 and2, which are entirely separate from each other and may therefore containbaths of the same or different chemical composition, as desired. Each ofsuch compartments, furthermore, may be sub-dividedup into a series ofbaths through which articles "to be treated will be successively passed,but as such successive treatments are well understood in the art, it isnot deemed necessary to illustrate or describe the same in detailherein.

A common conveying mechanismfwhich will usually be of the endless type,is associated with the tank compartments 1 and 2, in such manner thatarticles to be passed through'the bath or baths in compartment 1, aswell as those of compartment 2, may be principles. In the the suspendedfrom the conveyor and simultaneously passed through their respectivebaths. As shown dlagrammatically in Fig. 1, the

conveying mechanism may be provided with a suitable number of supportingmembers 3, having cross pieces 4 overlying the compartments 1 and 2 fromwhich cross pieces suitable work holders 5 and 6 are respectivelysuspended in the baths of compartments 1 and 2]. Suitable mechanicaldevices for moving through the compartments, will be understood asemployed, for example, as disclosed July 22 1924, but as such devicesare well known in the art, it is not deemed necessary to describe, or,illustrate the same herein.

Flg. 2 merely shows a plan view of one possible form of the tankcompartments 1 and 2, wherein the compartment 2'is enclosed bycompartment 1, except at the. entrances and delivery ends of both'compartmentsl Where the apparatus is to be use'd for electrolytictreatments,

one side of the circuits supplying the electrical energy tocompartmentsl and 2, As shown, the supporting members 3 of the conveyorare provided withcontactors 7 running along a conducting bar 8 which isconnected above described conveyor elements 111 the patent to W. F.Hall, No. 1,501,946,

u the conveyor mechanism may be utilized to provide a common'lead for tothe negative lead 9 of the energizing circuit.

With an apparatus of the abovetnature the Separate positive leads 10 and11 may also same conveyor mechanism may be employed to subject articlesto the samev or different bath treatments, in compartments 1 and 2, as

desired, and by using the separate or divided 1 leads 10 and 11, it isalso possible to vary the electrical current density in the respectivecompartments, such leads being usually provided with suitable voltageregulators 14 for that purpose. Thus the apparatus becomes useful over aWide range of treatments under difi'erent electrical chemical orelectro-chemical conditions. 1

While a specific embodiment of the invenother of said compartments, saidconveying mechanism providing a circuit connection of one polarity forboth compartments, and separate circuit connections of the otherpolarity leading to the respective compartments including means adaptedto cause different potential drops in the respective compartments. a

2. An apparatus for electrolytic and similar treatments, comprisingseparate tank compartments, together with a common conveying mechanismadapted to conduct work holders respectively through such compartmentsin substantially parallel paths and means for supplying electricalenergy to said compartments comprising a common negative returnconnection therefor, and separate positive circuit leads thereforincluding means adapted to produce difi'erent potential drops from anodeto cathode in the respective compartments.

( 3. An apparatus for electrolytic and similar treatments, comprisingseparate tank compartments, together with a common conveying mechanismadapted to conduct work holders respectively through such compartments,and means for supplying electrical energy to said compartmentscomprising divided positive leads respectively for difi'erentcompartments having voltage regulators therein and parts associated withsaid conveying mechanism which form a common negative return for saidcompartments.

4:- In a plating equipment, two plating tanks one of ivhich is disposedwithin the limits of the other, a traveling conveyor above the tankswhose line of travel is directionally similar to the line of divisionbetween said tanks, and a work support moved bythe conveyor andstraddling the line of division bet-ween the tanks whereby a pluralityof articles suspended from said support may be moved simultaneously withsome of the articles :passing through one tank and the remainder throughthelother tank.

5. In a plating equipment, a tank having the form of a U, a second tankembraced by the arms and bightportion of the first tank, a travelingconveyor above the tanks whose line of travel is directionally similarto the line of division between said tanks, and a work support moved bythe conveyor and

